A regional cooperation platform to reduce pharmaceuticals in the Baltic Sea

Pharmaceutical residues in the Baltic Sea are causing concern as the full impact for the marine environment is still unknown. To reduce emissions, measures are needed on both national and regional level.

The Baltic Sea Pharma platform brings together projects and stakeholders from the whole region to assist knowledge-sharing, increase effectiveness, streamlining activities and support regional policy development.

Kick-off in Riga 22 November 2017

PA Hazards organized a kick-off meeting for the Baltic Sea Pharma platform in Riga 22 November, hosted by the Latvian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development. We welcomed 40 participants from eight countries, pan-Baltic and European organizations. The aim of the meeting was to establish a regional network, start a dialogue on how to reduce emissions of pharmaceuticals to the Baltic environment and identify prioritized actions for the platform.

Presentations

We would like to thank all participants for their active contribution! Ideas, comments and suggestions will shape the future work of the Baltic Sea Pharma platform.

Interested in joining the platform?

Please contact Jenny Hedman or Maxi Nachtigall if you would like to contribute with knowledge, join in the dialogue or just be informed about the activities of the platform.

The platform is resting on three inter-linked columns

Projects Transnational projects targeting the emission of pharmaceuticals to the Baltic from different angles (advanced waste water treatment, waste management, procurement criteria etc.) provide the knowledge base and output of results. Currently four projects are clustered on the platform (see below). Other projects may be added.

Supporting activitiesRegional state of plays, extended stakeholder networks, task-oriented workshops and horizontal thematic analyses are examples of activities aimed at supporting project implementation and policy development in the region.

Policy development Outputs from the Pharma platform aim to support the development of regional and European policy on the issue of pharmaceuticals in the environment. They could include policy papers, regional guidelines, best practices and strategies. This work will be done in cooperation with Helcom’s Correspondence Group on Pharmaceuticals (CG PHARMA).

Conceptual model of the Pharma platform

The platform projects

A flagship of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region

The Baltic Sea Pharma platform is a flagship under PA Hazards during the period 2017-2020. The flagship is targeting both human and veterinary pharmaceuticals. Activities mainly focus on non-regulatory solutions, such as new technical and management options.

The main objective of the platform is to foster the implementation of physical measures within a reasonable time frame, e.g. by 2020, resulting in reduced emissions of pharmaceuticals to the Baltic environment.

The platform has been developed within PA Hazards and is managed by the coordinators of PA Hazards.

Development of the platform

2011 – 2014 Flagship project on pharmaceuticals

Make the Baltic Sea Region a leader in sustainable management for pharmaceuticals was a flagship project under PA Hazards between 2011 and 2014.

Following the end of the project, PA Hazards decided to give the topic of pharmaceuticals in the environment increased attention. The decision was based on the general growing concern over potential environmental impacts of pharmaceuticals and the current policy movements within the EU, Helcom and globally. Also, more knowledge and coordinated actions were requested by many Baltic Sea countries.

The results and established network provided by the project was utilized to develop a strategy for PA Hazards’ work on pharmaceuticals in the environment in 2014.

2015 – 2016 Project development and joint process with Helcom

A strategic work to stimulate the development of new transnational projects was undertaken. In December 2015, a project development workshop, with funding institutions and policy makers present, was organized in Copenhagen.

Simultaneously, PA Hazards initiated cooperation with Helcom to produce a regional status report on pharmaceuticals in the Baltic environment. A Background report on pharmaceutical concentrations and effects in the Baltic Sea was published by PA Hazards in 2015.

In 2016, the Pharma platform concept was developed and accepted as a flagship of the EUSBSR. Helcom initiated a Correspondence Group on pharmaceuticals.

Inform relevant regional stakeholders about the projects and how they can contribute to policy development (and vice versa)

Develop future platform work for added value and outreach

A status report has been recently published by UNESCO and HELCOM. The report was developed jointly by Helcom and PA Hazards. It serves as a case study within the framework of UNESCO Emerging Pollutants in Water Series under UNESCO-IHP's International Initiative on Water Quality (IIWQ) Project on 'Emerging Pollutants in Wastewater Reuse in Developing Countries'.